A comedian intentionally started the claim, as a test for Elon Musk
(Picture: PA Archive)After the news that Elon Musk completed his purchase of Twitter last week, users are concerned that he could allow misinformation on the website.
Musk, who is also the boss of Tesla and Space X, has gone through months of negotiation with Twitter, and there was even the threat of a court case to force through the deal when Musk threatened to pull out.
But why is #Trumpisdead trending? Here is everything you need to know
Why is #Trumpisdead trending?
Critics have suggested that the tech billionaire’s new approach, of saying he may allow total free speech and overturn bans for controversial comments, could lead to Twitter becoming a haven for trolls and right-wing conspiracy theorists.
And in what seems like a test of Musk’s control of Twitter and its moderation practices, Tim Heidecker is thought to have started the hashtag #TrumpIsDead.
Who is Tim Heidecker?
Heidecker is a comedian and actor, known for his standup and TV work with fellow comedian Eric Wareheim. He has also appeared in films, including Bridesmaids (2011), Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012), The Comedy (2012), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), and Us (2019).
In a series of tweets, Heidecker wrote, “Trump is dead (died badly)” and tagged Musk in saying the billionaire “suppressed this news (or has he?)”.
He continued: “Many are sad by the news. I heard he died in a sad and sick way (not as a dog, but this reporting could change soon).”
There has also been a report that the former president was spreading a false conspiracy theory concerning the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi.
In a reaction to the report, Heidecker tweeted: “Trump, i'm sad to say sounds like he's dying here. I think in fact that maybe he is and could possibly have a very grave disease of which he is dying from. we don't know but it's not good.”
Within an hour, on Tuesday, November 1, Heidecker's tweets began to gain traction and #Trumpisdead was trending.
He continued tweeting, this time jokingly suggesting that Trump’s death is being covered up.
Others joined in, including free speech activist @nathanTbernard who said “finally some good news”.
“#TrumpIsDead is trending. It’s trending bigly,” tweeted @SILEN_PHOTO.
@LegitTourist made reference to the hoax being a great retaliation to Musk, saying disinformation is free speech.
Another user compared Trump’s hair to corn.
He was also compared to a bowl of crushed Cheetos.
Some users seemed to be offended by the hoax. Heidecker clarified: “I'm not wishing anything. Just sharing what i believe to be true (or not).”
